The invention relates to an arrangement for supplying cooling air to a brake disk of a vehicle wheel brake.
For the air cooling of brakes in motor vehicles, devices are known from German Published Unexamined Patent Application (DE-OS) No. 12 20 271 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,959,255 that are fastened at the motor vehicle body and supply the air directly to the brake via flexible hose lines. Fixedly installed air pipes are also known from U.S. Pat. No. 2,934,255 that in bent areas are developed as corrugated pipes.
An objective of the invention is to provide an air-guiding duct for the forced air cooling of brakes that, despite a relatively large air flow cross-section, avoids an impairment of moving vehicle parts, such as the links, the drive shaft and the wheel, and extends without any impairment, from the direction of the front end of the vehicle to the front wheel brake. In addition, it is contemplated to arrange the duct in a space-saving way and with parts that can be easily assembled and that in part permit a pre-assembly outside the vehicle, but which can also easily be separated from one another during a dismounting of structural elements.
According to the invention, these objectives are achieved by providing an air duct arrangement which includes a plurality of rigid duct parts connected to vehicle parts for movement therewith and a plurality of flexible duct parts interconnecting the rigid duct parts. In especially preferred embodiments, the rigid duct parts are connected respectively to the vehicle front body part, a vehicle wheel support wishbone part and a brake disk guard plate.
The main advantages achieved by means of the invention are that the air guiding duct is fastened at the moving parts, such as the wheel guide link or wheel, so that impacts via the airguide duct parts against these moving parts are avoided. The fastening of the central rigid duct portion directly on the link, in the case of an all-wheel drive vehicle, also has the advantage that the small space in this area of the body is utilized optimally, and the drive shaft located above it takes up an optimal position and is also not impaired. The central as well as the rear rigid duct portion may also, before the installation, be pre-assembled so that for the achieving of a continuous air guiding duct at the vehicle, only the flexible portions must be inserted and connected with the rigid duct portions.
The resulting air guiding system via the duct is uninterrupted from the front end to the brake disk. In the area directly behind the brake disk, a large area is acted upon by means of two transversely directed air currents. These air currents guide the cooling air into the brake area as well as into the ducts between the two brake disk rings, whereby an optimized cooling of the whole brake disk is ensured.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.